


Overgrown Heart

by romulusgloriosus



Category: Homestuck
Genre: CW: Suicide Reference, Gen, Slice of Life, The Homestuck Epilogues: Candy, ultimate dirk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 11:22:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21035438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romulusgloriosus/pseuds/romulusgloriosus
Summary: Rose and Jake go on a hike together. Takes place between Candy 15 and 16. I wrote this for "Inktober" because I can't draw. The prompt for today is "Overgrown."





	Overgrown Heart

It’s about fifteen minutes before dawn on a chilly morning in early Spring on Earth C. The barely mapped constellations fade away above a solitary mountain top as the sky slowly turns from black to blue. Around the base of the mountain, Jake English, in exceptional shape as always, carries a massive pack on his back weighed down with several water bottles and several pounds of “daily rations.” He’s going to conquer the summit today if it’s the last thing he does, and he’s not going to do it alone.

He has Rose Lalonde with him. She looks utterly exhausted, with thick dark bags under her eyes. Her hair is uncombed and messy, having barely groomed this morning before setting off on this expedition. Still, the legacy of her brave sacrifice creating the Green Sun is that she will always have an unearthly beauty and perfection to her appearance even when she’s at her worst. As far as she’s concerned, this probably is the worst. She is not nearly as packed as her hiking companion – she carries a walking stick, and wears a small backpack that only contains an old squiddles lunchbox with a sandwich her wife packed for her and a bottle of water.

ROSE: Please explain to me again, Jake, why it was necessary for us to leave so early?  
JAKE: Good question rosie! Well for one its always better to get an early start when youve got a real tangible goal like reaching the summit because it gives you more time before sunset!  
ROSE: And for two?  
JAKE: For two well havent you ever heard “early to bed, early to rise, makes a fella the butter and egg man?”

Rose laughs out loud. She doubles over, cackling for a minute straight. She holds her stomach and puts a hand to her forehead.

JAKE: Well gee rosie i didn’t think i said anything worth this much of a laugh! Im not sure if ive said anything funny at all.  
ROSE: I’m so sorry, Jake, I don’t mean to come across as rude. I’ve just heard so much about you and I believe this is one of the first times we’ve spent time together outside of a group setting. It really is a pleasure.  
JAKE: Likewise! Im really chuffed that you decided to come climb the mountain with me this morning. Its great exercise, a great adventure, and great quality time!

Rose smiles. It has been a goal of hers to spend time with Jake English for some time now. For one, he had been her late father’s paramour for as long as she had even been aware of Dirk’s existence outside of an alternate universe version of him being her brother Dave’s neglectful but intriguing guardian. Though others may have considered him less than a suitable role model, Rose was always proud to be her father’s daughter, and viewed him as a kindred spirit and a valued friend. If Dirk had loved Jake, then surely she would as well, yes?

The fact that he had a legendary rear end didn’t make the prospect of walking behind him up hill for hours any less appealing, either. She’s a happily married woman, but that doesn’t mean she can’t enjoy the view. She’s only human. And many humans (and trolls, and carapacians, even some consorts) would kill for the opportunity to be where Rose is today. You can’t take the little things in life for granted, because they might be gone tomorrow.

Rose knows that better than most others. It had only been two months at most since she first laid eyes on her father’s grisly remains, and while interested in a macabre sense, there was a strong feeling of loss that she had yet to shake. How many years had she wished for a father as a young girl? How pleased was she, when the father she finally knew was _hers_, and so very much like her? How tragic must it be to lose someone that you longed to know for so long so soon after they were finally there? How sobering must it feel to know how he would have destroyed her, healed her, indentured her and uplifted her, if things had gone just a little different. If one choice hadn’t been made.

The poison and the cure.

JAKE: You copacetic rosie? Youre falling behind a bit there!  
ROSE: I’m sorry Jake, I suppose I’m still a little unwell.  
JAKE: We can turn around if youre not feeling up to snuff!  
ROSE: No, I’ll be fine. Let’s carry on.

The two of them march onward along the path. As far as Jake English is concerned, climbing this mountain is child’s play. A daily work out. There are very clear trails laid down by Earth C explorers of the past five millennia, and the rock face is sturdy and easily climbed.

ROSE: So how did you and Dirk meet?

Jake freezes in place. There’s a moment of silence in which Rose stares inquisitively, and while she doesn’t regret her question, she does realize that perhaps bringing her hiking companion’s former lover up might have been a bit of a faux pas.

JAKE: Ah. Yes. I shouldnt be surprised youd want to talk about old dirk. You are his daughter i guess. And youre a lot like him! No point lying there. You look a lot like roxy but youre dirk’s girl for sure.  
ROSE: I like to think I have the best of both of my ectoparents.  
JAKE: Theyre good people! Well...roxy’s good people. dirk was good people.

His expression turns pained for a moment. Rose is deeply intrigued. Then Jake English is back to having a large smile on his face, the moment having totally passed.

JAKE: My good bro dirk and i met online! Same as you and all of your friends. Callie actually introduced us all. Good chum that callie. A finer friend you couldnt ask for. Is she still living with roxy? Whats she up to these days?  
ROSE: And how long were you in a relationship with him for, again?

Jake coughs. He huffs and puffs. Rose doesn’t buy it for a second. A man like Jake English doesn’t lose his breath on a climb as simple as this one. She doesn’t push the matter, however. As curious as she is about the relationship between her father and the sexiest man alive, she at least has the decorum to leave a grieving man to grieve. Jake, clearly grateful for her silence, sets down his big pack and gets out some equipment in preparation for climbing a rock face.

ROSE: Oh, I’m surprised you’re actually going to climb it.  
JAKE: Of course i am! Were trying to reach the summit arent we?  
ROSE: Yes, but...oh nevermind. Did you bring extra equipment? I would like to try as well.  
JAKE: Never fear rosie! Jake english always comes prepared. Im pleased to see that youre up for it. The first step to any adventure is rising to meet it!  
ROSE: You don’t have to tell me twice.

Before Rose can even finish getting her equipment set up, however, Jake lets out a loud cry.

JAKE: Magical mister mistoffelees!  
ROSE: Jake. Again, not to be rude, but that is not old timey. That is from the musical _Cats_.  
JAKE: Take a gander at that!

Rose looks over and sees it. Clear as day, rising from between the trees and covered in moss and vines. It’s a shitty Liberty.

ROSE: Wow. So shitty.  
JAKE: I absolutely love seeing these things! Gosh fucking golly was dirk’s bro a genius! Crazy to think that after so many thousands or even millions of years they look just as shitty as the day they were made!  
ROSE: I don’t know if I would call it a work of genius, but it was definitely creative.

Rose smiles.

ROSE: I expect as much from Dave.  
JAKE: Lets have a look shall we?  
ROSE: I actually haven’t seen one up close before. I hear that they sometimes have interesting secrets hidden within?  
JAKE: The last one I found just contained a stash of old chocolates that were somehow still good!  
ROSE: Chocolates?  
JAKE: Crazy huh?  
ROSE: Interesting....

Rose approaches the ruinous statue that looks more like a deep fried jpeg in real life than made from any kind of material.

ROSE: How about we keep climbing?  
JAKE: Wait what? Dont you want to see whats inside the shitty liberty?  
ROSE: No. It’s just a shitty jpeg in real life. I’ve seen enough of those at Dave and Karkat’s house. I’m much more interested in getting to the top of this mountain before sunset.  
JAKE: Youre a driven gal rose lalonde! If you keep at this i might have to start trying to keep up with you!

Rose puts one foot on the rock wall and pushes herself up.

ROSE: I try my best.


End file.
